Decision details

Having considered an officer report, a presentation by Councillor Chris Barnham, the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and School Performance, and comments by Councillor Luke Sorba in his capacity as a Telegraph Hill ward councillor, the Mayor and Cabinet unanimously agreed:

That the strategy attached as Appendix 1 be approved:

(1)       For the provision of Children’s Centres services:

(i)             to extend and vary the current contract with Pre School Learning Alliance (known as Early Years Alliance) from 01/04/21 to 31/03/22 at a maximum cost of £1.25m;

(ii)            to extend and vary the current contract with Downderry School from 01/04/21 to 31/03/22 at a maximum cost of £190,000;

(iii)          to extend and vary the current contract with Eliot Bank and Kelvin Grove from 01/04/21 to 31/03/22 at a cost of £170,000.

(2)       For the provision of Youth Services in Lewisham:

(i)             that the Council uses available resources more flexibly to develop a borough wide targeted youth work offer, which will be delivered by a wider range of youth organisations across the borough, including the Council itself through Family Thrive; and accordingly:

(a)            award a contract for youth services to Youth First for four years, from 01/04/21 to 31/04/25 with an option to extend by up to two years at a cost of £1.3m per annum, and £7.8m for the full six year term

(b)           extend the current liability arrangements relating to pensions, as set out in paragraph 6.33 of this report, for the life of the contract

(c)           offer the contract with renewed lease arrangements, providing Youth First with 10 year leases at a peppercorn rent for at least two Youth sites in the borough, with the final decision on these sites and lease arrangements being delegated to the Executive Director for Children and Young People in consultation with the Director for Regeneration and Place and the Director of Law, Governance & Human Resources.

(3)       For the provision of Health services:

(i)             to extend and vary the current contract with Compass to deliver the Young People’s Health and Wellbeing Service for 12 months from 1^st April 2021 until 31^st March 2022, at a value of £746,000. The LBL contribution is £552,000.